bluebells in bloom and berry gardens
by Turnabout Writer
Summary: Dawn and Paul have been married for only a few months, but the weight and stress of Paul's new status as Champion is getting in the way of his relationship with Dawn. After the last straw, Dawn leaves him to go to Kalos, where her father lives. They meet again five years later, in which Paul discovers that they have a daughter together - ikarishipping. Full summary inside.
1. trade your heart for bones

**bluebells in bloom and berry gardens**

 **Dawn and Paul have been married for only a few months, but the weight and stress of Paul's new status as Champion is getting in the way of his relationship with his wife. After the last straw, Dawn makes the difficult decision to leave him and makes a life for herself in Kalos, where her father lives. When she returns to Sinnoh after five years, though, she knows that she has to soon disclose to Paul a massive secret she has kept from him during their separation – that they have a daughter together. Written for Ikarishipping Day 2018!**

 **Happy Ikarishipping Day! This was originally supposed to be a oneshot that went on for far too long, so I had to break it up into chapters. This first chapter is a little more summary than plot, but it sets up the course of this story. (And since things have been really hectic for me this week, I apologize for any errors and will fix them as soon as I can.) This weekend will be a little too busy for me, so the next chapter will be up next week.**

 **If you like to listen to the music that inspired and pushed the writing while you read, "Come Back Home" by Lauv was on repeat while I've been writing the whole story.**

 **Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. This story is copyright © 2018 Turnabout Writer. All rights reserved.**

The start of Paul's relationship with Dawn was one without fuss, something that he has always appreciated.

After beating the Elite Four of Sinnoh, and as a final preparation for his championship battle with Cynthia, he had come once more to Kalos to do some training – i.e., finally defeat Brandon, lesser known as his and Reggie's estranged father (though, Paul had no one to blame for that, as Brandon hadn't been aware of the fact until Reggie made it known later on).

The first battle against him, which was his fifth time challenging his father, ended in Paul's defeat. But that was to be expected, of course. This battle had simply been a test run for Paul. The real showdown would happen once he mastered mega-evolution with his Torterra. It would be the key to winning against Brandon _and_ Cynthia.

In order to do that, he had to visit Professor Sycamore. On his way to Lumiose City, though, the troublesome, coordinator girl who travelled with Ash in Sinnoh – her name was Dawn, he recalled, and she recently became a top coordinator – found him near the Rivière Walk, with her annoying Piplup on her shoulder. He learned that she, too, was on her way to Lumiose City to meet Professor Sycamore to learn more about Fairy type Pokémon, as she had learned that her Togekiss was now classed as one. Paul remembers clearly how she nervously tucked her hair behind her hair while speaking to him, which was how his eyes caught the Key Stone outfitted into her bracelet.

"Where did you get that keystone?" he asked her suddenly, urgency in his voice.

She innocently furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, unaware of his restlessness. "From Professor Sycamore."

So, they battled in front of the manor with the berry fields; the old man had taken a liking to Dawn, who had been interested in the berries he grew with his granddaughter, and was more than happy to let them battle there. With Paul's Torterra against Dawn's Mega Loppuny (with her mega stone outfitted into a choker around her neck), he unsurprisingly lost.

"You're close with Professor Sycamore," he stated, his eyes narrowing at her accusatorily.

She simply shrugged, her eyes averting his gaze, as her cheeks tinged a delicate pink. "You could say that I've known him since I was born," she answered, with a wave of her hand. "He taught me everything about mega evolution, since that's the focus of his research."

From there, they decided to travel together to Lumiose City. It was Paul's suggestion, which surprised both him and Dawn. He wanted to battle her more and have her introduce him to Professor Sycamore, which she agreed to. Her irritating behavior would be a small price to pay for mastering mega evolution.

She wasn't as troublesome as she appeared to be, though, and somewhere between finding a Torterrite, learning from and becoming close to Professor Sycamore, and battling and talking with Dawn, he started getting used to her being by his side.

This was made evident to him the moment she left for Sinnoh, when Paul deemed himself and Torterra ready to face Brandon and she finished having her Togekiss learn Fairy-type moves with Professor Sycamore, a year after they met on Route 7.

Immediately, her absence left him feeling hollow. He thought that it would wear off, but after a week, the empty feeling didn't subside, which was how Dawn found him on her doorstep in Twinleaf Town soon after, asking her to accompany him to his seventh battle with Brandon in Snowpoint City (as he had lost the sixth one in Kalos shortly after Dawn's departure).

And finally, Paul felt at ease. He had never been happier to listen to her mundane chatter and to have her annoying Piplup try to stare him down. He wasn't even annoyed when she came to the Battle Pyramid with a cheerleading outfit, pompoms in her and – surprisingly – Piplup's hands, ready to cheer him on. In fact, her cheers were what rang through his head as he and his mega-evolved Torterra, his last Pokémon, defeated Brandon's remaining two Pokémon, Regice and Regirock.

Though the relief that flowed through him from finally defeating Brandon was indescribable, the proud look on Reggie's face, and Dawn's happiness made him feel surprisingly warm. He wasn't used to such feelings.

And he found himself wanting more of those feelings.

It was the next morning that he showed up at her room door at the Pokémon Center they were at. She was packing, preparing to go back to Twinleaf Town, but Paul didn't want to

"Stay with me," he simply said, but behind his words was a small plea. "I . . . I don't know when I got used to having you around, but if you leave, it will be . . . " He pursed his lips, struggling to find the proper word. "Difficult."

Dawn's reply to his request was to pull him down to her face by his shirt and press her lips to his.

They moved into a small apartment in Hearthome City. Reggie saw it coming all along, Maylene (his wife and Paul's sister-in-law, and Dawn's friend), was happy for them, as well. Johanna was surprised when Dawn told her, but, nevertheless, was happy for her them both, having liked Paul a lot already from when she first introduced them the day he showed up at her door. Dawn decided to keep this a secret from her father, though Paul had rolled his eyes when she told him – he didn't understand why it mattered, since he lived in a different region. Her father would find out eventually, since he was planning to come to Sinnoh soon, and it wasn't as if he would get upset or angered by it; Paul knew that Dawn's father liked him a lot. He met the man in Kalos, before he and Dawn dated. That was why Dawn originally went to Kalos to meet him in the first place (and that was how she knew Professor Sycamore).

That was 6 months ago – 6 months of living with her, and though it was initially strange to have someone living with him and took a little bit of adjustment, in his bed, it was oddly pleasant to have someone to come home to have after travelling days or weeks at a time to prepare and train for his championship match against Cynthia. She would always be there to greet him and bid him with a wide, angelic smile on her face and a soft kiss on his lips. And, of course, there were the nights to look forward to, as well; but even when Dawn sometimes would come home later from working overtime at the Poffin House, Paul was satisfied when she quietly would tiptoe into their dark, small bedroom, lean down over his supposedly sleeping body to kiss his cheek and then fall onto the bed beside him. And he would wake up in the morning before her, before the sun rose, lightly press her forehead, and leave to train once more.

They have had a simple life together, but Paul knows that it will change once he wins this championship match today.

.

Dawn wrings her hands nervously as she watches Paul roughly running his hands through his hair, as he recalls his second Pokémon, Aggron. He has been doing so well from the start, eliminating Cynthia's Togekiss (which Dawn knew was easier for him since he battled her Togekiss many times when they were in Kalos last year) and Glaceon with his Magmortar. But then she sent out Lucario, who easily, and quite quickly, defeated Magmortar and Aggron.

Now they are even with three for three, though Lucario has been severely weakened from Aggron's Aerial Ace – which Dawn didn't know Aggron could learn, but knew immediately that it had to have been thanks to Reggie.

From the Champion's Viewing Box, Dawn sees him pull out another Pokéball and enlarges it. "Honchkrow," he calls out, tossing it onto the battlefield, "standby for battle!"

Honchkrow enters the field with a determined cry, and giving the slightly breathless Lucario a level stare.

"Whoa, I haven't seen that Honchkrow in a while!" the Indigo League Champion (who now only has jurisdiction over Kanto, after protests from Johto of wanting their own champion and not having their decisions in the hands of Kanto), and Dawn's childhood friend, Ash Ketchum, exclaims next to her. It was thanks to him she was able to view the battle from the champion's box in the first place, as his guest. "It looks stronger than when we battled it a year ago, right, buddy?"

The Pikachu on Ash's shoulder looks at Paul in awe, before nodding his head to agree with Ash. "Pi, pika, pi!" Pokémon are normally not allowed to be out of their Pokéballs in the Champion's Box, but for Ash, Cynthia allowed for the exception.

Dawn's eyes don't leave the battlefield as she speaks, watching Honchkrow flying around Lucario. "Honchkrow trained with my Togekiss a lot when Paul and I were in Kalos." Dawn has to hold back a giggle as she remembers how after a fierce, first match between the two Flying-type Pokémon, Honchkrow suddenly became so smitten by Togekiss (and how irritated Paul was by it). Thankfully for Paul, Honchkrow never backed down whenever he would battle Togekiss, though.

"Hmph . . . I hope he has more powerful Flying-type moves on that Honchkrow than Dark-type moves – Flying-type moves are super effective against Fighting-types, while Dark-type moves aren't," a quiet voice speaks up.

Dawn's head tilts towards the man with long, red hair sitting near her. Her eyes take in his perfectly still form with his arms crossed over his chest, seated next to his girlfriend, the former Champion of the Silver League (as Lance officially named it when he split the Indigo League into two).

Lyra smirks at her boyfriend. "Silver, you should know this from when we were rivals. Paul and Cynthia's Pokémon are close equal in strength, and both trainers are equally determined to win; type matchups mean almost nothing in a battle like this."

"Lucario's typing gave him the advantage against Aggron, though," Ash points out, leaning over Dawn to better see Lyra.

Silver slightly scowls in response, betraying the appearance he has maintained of focusing entirely on the battle unfolding below them. He doesn't see Ash in the best light – from what Lyra told Dawn, Silver's father "cheated" on his mother with Ash's mother (but it wasn't really cheating since they were never together in the first place) – though Ash doesn't seem offended by it. It made Dawn think what a small world this is.

"Yes, but – "

"It wasn't Lucario's power, but his speed that gave rise to his two victories against Paul's Pokémon."

Dawn's eyes widen, and she feels her cheeks start to warm. She turns around and looks up to see the tall, Pokémon professor standing above of them with a smile.

"Flying is super effective against fighting," he continues, "but its evasiveness will be what helps Paul to deal with Lucario's speed."

"Professor Sycamore!"

 _Why is he_ here _, in the champion's box?_ Dawn questions in her mind exasperatedly, holding back a groan. She truly, truly envies this man's relationship with Paul's, and vice versa — Paul confides in him about things that he won't with Dawn; and there is a paternal love Sycamore has for Paul that Dawn has never received, among other things.

"Pika, pika!"

The professor chuckles at the excited cry. "Hi, Pikachu, it's nice to see you again, too!"

Ash arises from his seat to shake his hand. "Hiya, Professor!"

"Hi, Ash, it's been a while, hasn't it?"

A flash of irritation runs through Dawn, so, she tunes their conversation out, and her eyes are back on Paul. Honchkrow has landed a successful Brave Bird on Lucario, knocking it out. Yes! Cynthia recalls Lucario, thanking it with a small smile, and then sends out her next Pokémon, her Milotic. Suddenly, the center of the battlefield opens up to reveal a large pool of water and Milotic gracefully leaps in with a cry, her body slinking into the water so beautifully. Paul, too, recalls Honchkrow, who is suffering from the recoil, switching him in for Electivire. He'll need Honchkrow to deal with Cynthia's Spiritomb.

"Dawn," she hears him greet her happily from next to her ( _when did he sit down near her?)_ , so she begrudgingly shifts her body towards the man, accepting his hug and returning his customary kiss on the cheek.

"How are you here in the Champion's viewing area?" she asks him, trying to keep the frustration out of her voice – her mother would not appreciate it at all.

"By the grace of Diantha, of course." He winks, and, in spite of her dejection, Dawn can't help but crack a smile – Augustine Sycamore has always been such a charismatic person. "Like I assume Ash was to you, Diantha was kind enough to bring me here as guest."

"You're not sitting with your best friend?" she teases.

He rolls his eyes. "Johanna can survive without me. Plus, who else is going to keep Sophie company?"

Dawn raises her eyebrows in surprise – Sophie is usually holding the fort down whenever he's away from the lab. "I didn't know that you brought her. I want to see her, later. Oh, and you have to introduce me to Diantha, too!"

"Yes, Johanna wanted to go to dinner, after all of this is said and done. She loves Sophie. And of course, I will. I already told Diantha that you're a huge fan of her acting, and she's very excited to meet you!" And that immediately warms her heart. There is the man she has known for a very long time, always knowing her and her likes and dislikes very well . . .

" . . . after all, how could I miss seeing my dear protégé fully master mega evolution and become Champion of Sinnoh?"

That breaks Dawn out of her thoughts. She wasn't paying attention to the conversation before, but the tail end of his words that she catches cause the small glow of joy she was feeling now subsides. _Yet he told me he wasn't able to attend the Grand Festival the two times I asked him to_ , she thinks sourly, though a feeling of hurt claws at her chest. As much as she loves Paul, _she_ is supposed to be the one who is closer to the professor, not him! The petulant and childish thought of _I knew him first_ crosses through her mind, as she watches Paul grit his teeth as he struggles to land a hit on the Milotic swimming in the water. He has to be careful not to paralyze it, which is probably his main concern.

As he has read Dawn's mind, the professor comments, "He could have Electivire hit Milotic with a Thunder Shock, but there's a risk of paralyzing it, which could prove to be quite dangerous."

"That's right," Dawn answers, nodding to herself, "Milotic has Marvel Scale for her ability, so if she does manage to hit Electivire through the paralysis, it could mean that none of his attacks do enough damage, which would be the end for it and maybe for the rest of Paul's team."

But Paul is a smart, astute man who doesn't fail to surprise them. To everyone's surprise, he orders Electivire to use Bulldoze, a Ground-type move, on the battlefield. His calculations must have been correct, because the force of the shock waves crash into Milotic with double power underwater, causing her to spring out of the water and cry out in pain.

"Augustine!" a gruff voice calls out from a few rows behind, startling Dawn, the professor, and Ash. They all turn around to see Professor Rowan and Professor Oak. Huh? What are they doing here? Did they come as plus ones as well? She also makes a mental note to speak to Oak after the battle.

"Excuse me," he says abruptly, arising from his seat and making his way to the back, and Dawn sees the beads of sweat gather across his forehead. _Mom did say that he is still intimidated by Professor Rowan._

"Man, Dawn, it must be so great to be so close with the professor!"

"Yes," she answers back Ash absentmindedly, watching the Kalosian greet his old mentor and shake hands with the Kantonian professor, struggling to hear their conversation.

"You're late!" Professor Rowan scolds to the youngest professor, as they give each other a one-armed hug.

Professor Oak rolls his eyes. "Oh, leave the poor boy alone, Nathaniel."

"Wild Charge, now!" she vaguely hears Paul command through the speakers in the viewing box.

"Hey, come on, Professor Rowan! Not all of us Pokémon Professors are former champions, you know. Some of us need to find another way in."

Ah, that's right! Professor Rowan and Professor Oak were champions some time ago. Professor Rowan was the champion until Cynthia defeated his successor, while Lance defeated Professor Oak at an early age. Then, a few years ago, split the Indigo League into two to create the Indigo and Silver Leagues – Leaf, Ash's childhood friend from Pallet Town, and Lyra, were the respective champions for the leagues, until Leaf was defeated by Ash recently, and Lyra was defeated by Silver two years ago, which caused a strain in their relationship for a while. (Dawn has heard a rumor from Paul, though, that Silver wants to step down from his position . . .)

Speaking of the current Silver League Champion, the devil himself snaps his fingers in front of Dawn's face, breaking her out of her thoughts, and then clicks his tongue disapprovingly. "Curiosity killed the Delcatty. Satisfaction did not bring it back," he taunts in a murmur. "You may hear something you won't like through eavesdropping.

A blush rises to Dawn's cheeks, but she stubbornly crosses her arms over her chest, looking away haughtily. "Just because you're the Champion of Johto and Lyra's boyfriend, that doesn't mean I'll let you make fun of me."

He shrugs. "I'm not making fun of you. Just warning you."

She will admit to herself, though, that she gets a kick out of the fact the Silver League Champion's name is _Silver_.

The professors begin a conversation about Professor Sycamore's research and how he plans to start working on his dissertation soon, so Dawn refocuses her attention on Paul.

It's at a good time, too, as Milotic uses Mud Bomb on Electivire. The viewing box erupts in surprised murmurs – Milotic knows Mud Bomb? Dawn isn't fazed, though, especially when the dust that clouded over the battlefield from the attack clears up to reveal a fainted Electivire. She grits her teeth. The recoil damage from the moves his Pokémon have is proving to be very costly.

Cynthia quickly switches out Milotic for her Garchomp, and, serendipitously, Paul sends out his Lapras at the same time. It lands right in the water that Milotic was just in. The rest of the battle between the two Pokémon moves fairly quickly, most likely due to Garchomp's speed. Paul opens up the battle with a Confuse Ray, but as soon as Garchomp becomes confused, she snaps out of it, and immediately leaps to use Brick Break upon Cynthia's orders.

"Lapras, no!" Paul shouts, as his Pokémon crashes into the water.

Lapras resurfaces with a pant, but just barely – he has taken a lot of damage, and Dawn sees the sweat gather on Paul's forehead. He wipes it away swiftly, and nods at Lapras, who is looking back at him.

"Now, Lapras! Use Sheer Cold!"

A light blue light emanates from Lapras's body, before he releases a wave of light blue energy that freezes the pool of water, including Garchomp's arm, my to Cynthia's surprise.

It is Paul's last-ditch effort that works like a charm – or was this planned all along? Dawn isn't quite sure. Whatever the case may be, his strategy seems to be going against Lyra and the professor's words. Type advantage seems to be Paul's strength here.

Cynthia recalls Garchomp for her Spiritomb, so he sends Honchkrow back out. The frozen battlefield has no effect on either of them, as their battle takes place in the air. Spiritomb is easily defeated by Honchkrow's Night Slash, but, like everyone thought, it's a trap – Spiritomb's Will-O-Wisp has left a burn on Honchkrow, and because of the recoil damage from his Brave Bird earlier, he faints too.

With that, Paul is down to his last Pokémon, Torterra. It defeats an already weakened Milotic with frenzy plant, but not before she hits him with a nasty Ice Beam as Cynthia used the frozen pool to her advantage by having Milotic slither on it like a serpent.

Now Cynthia, too, has one Pokémon left, Garchomp.

"He has come a long way," Professor Sycamore states wistfully.

"Huh?" Dawn looks beside her to see the young, black-haired professor looking at the battlefield with a smirk.

"It's time that he prove himself completely capable of mega evolution."

"My apologies, Professor Sycamore, but Paul isn't the only one with a mentor in mega evolution."

Dawn and the professor look to their left to see Hoenn's Champion, Steven Stone, smirking at them, his arms folded over his chest.

"Oh, Steven!" Dawn exclaims, standing up and extending a hand for him to shake.

He smiles good-naturedly at her. "Don't take this the wrong way, Dawn, but in the same way you're obligated to cheer for Paul, I'm obligated to cheer for Cynthia's victory."

Dawn chuckles. "Of course. We can cheer all we want, but the final battle will tell us who is stronger."

"Garchomp, Dragon Rush, now!"

"Stone Edge, Torterra!"

Steven tilts his head to side to give a crooked grin. "Indeed."


	2. paint-chipped skies

**Hi, all! Wanted to update yesterday before I left the house, but AO3 was down, so it didn't feel right to update on one platform and not the other. Anyway, we've finally moved past summary and are starting to lay the ground down for future events - some political drama surrounding Paul's championship for now, before the romantic and family drama begins. Enjoy!**

Dawn watches him from the corner of the champions' viewing box, as he shakes hands of many people, including Professor Rowan and Steven Stone, and even gives Ash a one-armed hug. Lyra ambushes Paul with an unexpected hug that causes him to stiffen, and Silver, who has just shook Paul's hand as well, to snicker.

Though the Sinnoh's newest champion looks more pleased and satisfied with himself than happy, there is a hint of a smile on his face – regardless, Dawn is doing the smiling for him, her face stretched into a grin so wide that hurts her cheeks.

"Paul, congratulations, my boy!" She watches Paul's mentor pull him into a hug after shaking his hand.

Not even Augustine Sycamore's favoritism can wipe the smile off of her face.

Paul gruffly hugs him back, still not used to the Kalosian affection, and pats the man on the back once. "Thank you, Professor Sycamore, for everything." When he is released from their embrace, he nods at him and adds, "I mean it."

(Though, Dawn has also decided to not let her bitterness get in the way of the auspicious moment).

After what feels like an eternity of formal congratulations and handshakes and awkward hugs, Paul finally makes his way over to Dawn.

"Hey." His gray eyes shine in amusement and Dawn realizes she still has that stupid grin on her face.

Her cheeks flush delicately, and her lips fall into a smaller, gentler smile. "Hi," she whispers back, her hand reaching up to rest on his cheek. "You finally did it." She stretches up on her toes to brush her lips against his in a light, brief kiss.

"I did." His words are a quiet murmur against her lips.

She brushes back the tendrils of lilac that have fallen out of his tied-back hair – a style he began to maintain sometime after defeating the Elite Four. "You're the champion."

She is surprised Paul hasn't pushed away, as he is not one for public displays of affection — instead he places a kiss on her cheek. "Thank you."

Unbeknownst to them, the enchanting Professor Sycamore stares at their exchange in disbelief, his jaw slack open.

"You guys have been seeing each other?!"

Immediately, Paul jolts away from Dawn's embrace, surprised by his mentor's outburst and scowls, while Dawn just rolls her eyes and holds him to her tighter.

"Dawn, Paul, how could you not tell me this?" Though an expression hurt crosses his face, there is a playfulness that Dawn has seen from him and has laughed at throughout her childhood.

She sighs, reluctantly pulling herself away from Paul. "Well, now you know."

.

' **THE PLATINUM KING AND SINNOH'S DIAMOND ARRIVE TOGETHER AT CORONATION**

Love Affair or Promoting Pair?!'

 _Though anticipation for Saturday night's Coronation of Sinnoh Champion Paul Rebolledo (26) already turned the region into eager Chatot, his entry into the ceremony venue alone has brought about a new reason for uproar. Rebolledo was seen arriving at The Valley Manor, on Lily of the Valley Island, with Top Coordinator and budding Pokéstylist Dawn Berlitz (23) on his arm, much to the shock of many. The pair appeared to at each other's sides and danced a couple of times throughout the night. At the coronation, Berlitz also briefly spoke about the upcoming exhibition battle between the Champion and a Top Coordinator (which will be Berlitz, herself) that will take place this New Years' Eve at the Jubilife Jamboree, indicating Rebolledo's choice of date to be promotional. The Jubilife Jamboree's lineup originally showed that the battle would be between Cynthia Jenness (36) and Berlitz, but with Rebolledo having defeated the former, Sinnoh's Diamond will now be facing the new Champion in a match of power against impression._

 _Bringing Berlitz as a date to the coronation may have been a tactic to establish new relations and promote the Jubilife Jamboree in a few months on Rebolledo's part, but a source close to Berlitz reveals quite the opposite: "Dawn and Paul have been close friends since childhood. They've loved each other for a long time, but decided to be together only after Paul defeated Cynthia. It's all very new for them, but Dawn is very happy."_

 _An official spokesperson for Rebolledo, however, discloses, "At this time, Mr. Rebolledo is focused on his new duties as the region's champion and is working closely with Cynthia Jenness to make the successful transition. As Ms. Berlitz announced at the coronation, the Jubilife Jamboree will feature a showcase battle between the two of them as Champion of Sinnoh and Top Coordinator in two months. Please look forward to that." Though we could not get any –_

Paul stops reading to roll his eyes at the incorrect article. He knew that the media would buzz once they started to go public, but he didn't think it would be like this.

Sitting next to him at their dining table, Dawn leans over his shoulder to peek at the tabloid in his hands. "What does it say?"

"Look for yourself." He hands her the magazine before taking a sip from his tall glass of orange juice, savoring the citrusy tang that runs down his throat. He then rises from his seat, pushing the chair back as he does, to put his glass away. "Ursula was probably their source for the dating gossip," he deadpans, as he walks to the sink.

Paul had the unfortunate pleasure of seeing her once at Lila's Boutique and though he wouldn't have cared for her presence, she was speaking to his girlfriend like she was the scum beneath those unpleasant-looking heels of her (and he would have liked to see her trip on those heels). Dawn, being the patient, cheerful angel that she is, somehow did not take offense, simply smiled and then bid the annoying pest a goodbye, before making her way over to Paul.

She laughs at his joke as her eyes scan through the gossip column. "Childhood friends? New relationship? This is horribly false." Her giggles grow louder, which elicits a small smile out of Paul. At least, Dawn is taking the media's attention on them well.

When she won the Grand Festival, the media started to hound her and she hated it and would sometimes react badly to their harassment; she would become anxious, feel suffocated, and nearly appointed a bodyguard.

(According to Johanna, Dawn's unease came from a bad experience she had as a child. The mother and daughter duo were out in Jubilife shopping when a pair of Pokérazzi came up to them and began harassing them with questions and pictures. Though Johanna had been out of the media's sight a while after she became Top Coordinator, she was temporarily back in the spotlight since she was a judge for the upcoming Wallace Cup at the time.)

Finally, when the limelight was off of Dawn, she felt at peace again. Though she did reassure Paul that this time, she was more prepared and would be all right, her discomfort with the media was one of Paul's biggest concerns about going public. But Dawn has proved herself to be strong and confident, and Paul will always be there to make sure she is fine.

When he walks back to the table, he sees that her smile has dropped and worry crosses her face, her eyes squinting and her mouth falling open slightly at the booklet's contents.

"What?"

Wordlessly, she hands him back the magazine, which has been turned to a different page.

 **'BERTHA ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT AFTER CYNTHIA'S DEFEAT**

With the departure of the only female members in the Sinnoh League, patriarchy takes over the region once again.'

Paul leans against the wooden tabletop and quickly skims through the article, in which the journalist talks about Bertha's announcement about retiring at the coronation, and how she has been a part of the league for so long that she got to see Sinnoh's first two female champions – Rowan's successor and Cynthia (but now, the article adds in, Sinnoh has their first male champion since Rowan). Now, however, Cynthia is no longer a part of the league, and with Bertha's retirement, there will be no female members left in the league, unless the new champion is able to appoint a female that is capable and strong enough to handle such a position. The question is also brought up of why Bertha chose now to retire. Is it because of Paul? Does she not find him fit to be champion? Does she not want to work under him, or did she just like Cynthia's championship better? Whatever the case may be, since the Elite Four are under a new championship, it will be difficult to find anyone, let alone a female, who would be willing to work with a new champion.

He feels Dawn's head fall on his stomach. "They're going to twist your name around and blame you," she mumbles against his shirt. "They'll label you as a bad champion."

"Dawn." He sighs, one hand reaching for hers, while the other lifts her face up to meet his. He stares into her vivid, cobalt eyes, hating that they glisten with worry and unshed tears. "No one is taking the news of Bertha's retirement well, I know, but the media will always twist and omit things. You know how they are." He looks at her pointedly. "They didn't mention that Professor Rowan was the one who appointed Bertha when he was champion, and that it was under her own stipulation that she would work for no longer than 40 years. And that was 40 years ago. I already spoke with Bertha and Professor Rowan, and they will clarify that in a press conference tomorrow."

She nods to herself once, before standing up to sit on the tabletop, so she doesn't have to stretch her neck up anymore to see Paul. "And what about the next Elite Four member?"

"I'm meeting with Fantina and Byron tomorrow. Cynthia suggested them as my first two candidates." He purses his lips and then regards her with interest. "Do you think Fantina will say yes?"

"Fantina . . . might not agree so easily," she answers hesitantly, looking away. "She gave up her entire life in Kalos to move to Hearthome and become a coordinator and gym leader. She loves it all too much to move on to something new."

Paul rubs the side of his face tiredly with a hand. "I was afraid so. I don't think Byron will accept the position either, and the other gym leaders are too inexperienced and young to consider." He and Dawn recently learned that Crasher Wake is only four years older than him, and they were both shocked that he is actually younger than 35 years old when he told her.

"Huh." Dawn looks pensive. "I guess it's a strength as well as a weakness of Sinnoh to have young gym leaders. But age is just a number, Paul. You can't determine how strong they are based on their age."

"No, I can't, but I asked them all to have a one-on-one battle with me – most of the younger ones declined, with the exception of Gardenia, Volkner, and Maylene. Gardenia won, but she and I both agreed that she wouldn't make it as an Elite Four member, and Volkner was too reckless with his battling and lost." He maintains a blank expression on his face. "As for Maylene . . . I had to eliminate her from my list immediately after, due to potential claims of nepotism."

Dawn frowns. "She may be your sister-in-law, but she's a gym leader, too."

He rolls his eyes. "She wouldn't have accepted the position even if I had offered it to her." His fingers find hers once more, his thumb rubbing over the glittery, new ring that rests on her left hand.

Paul must admit that he did well in picking it out – with Johanna's help, of course. The ring is comprised of two bands, weaving around each other, and the diamonds are set in a floral halo, with a large diamond at its center. Dawn immediately loved it, and he is still smug whenever he catches her admiring it fondly.

His proposal, on the other hand, though done last night, in the romantic garden of The Valley Manor before his coronation, wasn't as stellar. He hadn't prepared the speech and refused to go down on one knee, only planning to request her to marry him and present her with the ring, which was in his pocket. He did tell her that he loves her and requested her to marry him, but his mouth opened more to speak without his own accord. He told her that it wouldn't be easy his focus would be on his duties as Champion until he could settle in, and that it would sometimes be hard for him to keep up with her.

"But you can't give up on me so easily and you will have to pull me back on track," he had warned, finally pulling the velvet blue box out of his pocket to present the ring to Dawn.

She, of course, said yes.

And he swore to Arceus that he heard Piplup rolling in his Pokéball when she did.

With his eyes finally off her ring and back on her, he quietly tells her, "I asked Barry."

Her eyebrows lift in surprise. "You asked _Barry_?!" she cries, her voice rising, letting go of his hand and pushing herself off of the tabletop. "Paul, you know he's been trying to beat his father at the Battle Frontier to take over as the new Tower Tycoon. You of all people should understand the position he's in – in both ways, because he's been trying to defeat his father in battle and is trying to earn a title, just like you did – and yet you want to drag him away from that?"

He groans, rubbing a hand against his temple. "I'm running out of options, Dawn. Lucas already refused but said Barry might accept. He's been having second thoughts about becoming the next Tower Tycoon." Dawn looks at him with uncertainty, which makes him exhale lightly. "Look, it's ultimately Barry's choice to make. I simply offered him an alternative. Bertha leaves in six months, so he has some time to think over it."

The apprehension still doesn't disappear from Dawn's face.

.

Returning rumors of Dawn and Paul dating sweep the tabloids after the Jubilife Jamboree. The press loves it, but Paul pushes away any of Dawn's ideas of going public for good press. _Now's not the right time,_ he would say, though he was also worried she wasn't ready to face the hounding media once more and was only saying it for his sake.

A month after the Jubilife Jamboree, though, the news of Paul offering the Elite Four position to Barry is leaked to Sinnoh Now, courtesy of a contemptuous Volkner – Flint wants to _burn him alive_ , and Cynthia is livid; Paul has never seen her so upset or mad before, and he must admit that she is _scary_.

Though Paul hasn't gained much authority within the Elite Four, he rebukes Flint for disclosing such confidential information to Volkner in the first place, irrespective of the fact that he is a gym leader. He also admonishes Volkner for his actions – it may have been a personal act against Paul, but now the League will suffer for it. Paul also threatens him that if he ever pulls a stint like that again, his gym will get disqualified; though Sinnoh's gym rules are less stricter and have less room for disqualification as opposed to Kanto, Paul knows he had to pull that card, and Cynthia commended him for doing so later on. It seems to work, too, since Volkner apologizes to him later on, calling it a stupid act and agreeing with Paul that he is reckless.

After that, Paul seems to gain his and the other gym leaders' respect, at least, according to Maylene.

On Valentine's Day, Dawn and Paul share a quiet, cozy dinner on their living room couch when Silver announces his resignation at a press conference being broadcasted on national television.

"Fuck," Paul curses a low voice, causing Dawn to lift her head off his shoulder and frown at him questioningly.

"I thought you knew this was coming." She shifts to right, allowing him to stand up and pace around the living room anxiously. "You told me last year he was thinking about resigning."

He stops walking and turns to glower at Silver's face, displayed on their flat-screen television, before he turns back at Dawn. "He said last month that he wouldn't quit."

Later that night, Silver calls Paul. Dawn isn't able to fall asleep and worriedly listens to her fiancée talk on the phone. At first, he's arguing, and she can faintly hear Silver yelling back at him through the phone.

But then Silver must say something compelling, because Paul's words break off and his angry face morphs into shock.

"Oh." His voice grows quiet. "Congratulations." A pause. His eyebrows furrow at whatever Silver is telling him. And then he sighs, running a hand through his hair. "I wish you had told me before you made the announcement, but I understand that it is also personal matter . . . That's fine. I will see you next week at Pokétopia. And please, send my congratulations to Lyra as well." With that, he ends the call and sets his Pokégear down on their bedside table.

The bed dips as Paul lies down onto the bed. He shifts his body towards Dawn, and she can see the weariness beginning to settle onto his face.

She stretches her hand and smoothens the lines wrinkling his face. "What's wrong?" Her voice is a breathless whisper, afraid to shatter the stillness and silence that has surrounded them. "What did Silver say?"

He closes his eyes and leans into her touch. "Lyra's pregnant," he murmurs softly.

She nearly jolts up from the bed in shock. "Wow," she breathes in surprise, making a mental note to call her friend and congratulate her in the morning. "So, he's quitting because he doesn't want things to be tense between them anymore with his position, especially with a baby on the way."

"Mhm," he hums indolently. His breathing is becoming more regular, and Dawn can sense that he's growing sleepier.

Dawn lets him fall asleep after that, but can't seem to find any sleep of her own. Her mind keeps her awake, worrying about what the news will say about Paul in the morning. She has already seen news outlets sharing hopes that the next Johto Champion is a woman, since Silver and Ash dethroned the previous female champions, Lyra and Leaf – this, specifically, is not bad for Paul's reputation, and in fact, might be better for him, but these talks will ultimately lead them all to blame him for Silver's resignation.

She sighs once before closing her eyes and burrowing further into her pillow. Three steps forward, two steps back.

 **Thanks for reading! Be sure to share your thoughts - and any guesses as to whom the new E4 member is going to be?**


	3. but sometimes you have to go

**Sorry for the delay in updates! It's been really busy. This is a horribly confusing chapter, at least, towards the end, but that's because Dawn's thoughts are horribly confusing, but with purpose. All will be revealed slowly, if there is trouble aligning the pieces up now. The next chapter will take place five years in the future.**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter, and as always, thank you for reading!**

Cynthia suggests to Paul that he get married to Dawn — the people will like that there is a lady in his life to keep him grounded. They will be assured to see that his wife is an influential lady, Dawn Berlitz, Sinnoh's Sweetheart and a top coordinator, if the news roaming around from the coronation and Jubilife Jamboree were any indications. So, he would then need to address in a press conference that he has gotten married, and then slowly have him and Dawn come into public eye.

Paul doesn't bother to tell her that he has already proposed to Dawn, but quietly comments that he wants to keep the wedding quiet, not wanting the media to hound Dawn more a little longer – as much as Dawn denies it, he knows that the "media blitzle" from when she became a top coordinator still unsettles her. That is why their relationship is _still_ under wraps, after all.

Cynthia purses her lips, displeased. "Alright," she acquiesces, "but, please, Paul, understand that you will need to explain to Dawn how the media politics of this works. If you don't, your relationship with her will suffer."

.

Their wedding is a small affair – only the closest and most important people like the Elite Four, Cynthia, Dawn's parents, Professor Rowan, Reggie, Maylene, Brandon (whom Dawn invited, after convincing a begrudging Paul that he had to invite his father), Ash, Lyra, Silver, and a few others are invited. The ceremony is held at Lake Verity, as well as the small reception that follows. They exchange simple, but meaningful vows, and wedding rings, courtesy of ring bearers Piplup and Wesley, Reggie and Maylene's toddler son. After the ceremony, they enjoy the reception with everyone, listening to short speeches made by many, including Professor Sycamore and Johanna, Reggie and Maylene, May and Drew (with Piplup and Pachirisu), Zoey, Ash, and Brandon. They share their first dance as a married couple, and dance with others (Paul, albeit, reluctantly only dances with Johanna, Cynthia, and Maylene before retreating to his table).

Dawn's parents, though divorced, dance together. As Dawn sits, watching them with a huge smile, she also notes Paul and Barry speaking quietly at the back of the lakefront. At the end of their conversation, Barry extends a hand that Paul shakes good-naturedly. After that, he returns to his table where Zoey, Kenny, Nando, and a few others sit, and Paul walks over to Dawn.

"What happened back there?" she asks him, when he finally plops down on the seat next to her.

He shrugs. "Nothing important as of now." Dawn looks at him in disbelief. "I . . . I don't want to spoil this day by talking about it," he admits. "I don't want to drag my work into it."

"Come on, Paul," she coaxes softly, moving her hand on top of his. "It has to be important. And I'm your wife – I promised to be to by your side no matter what. I'm not going to let it get between us, and want to help you. Please, tell me."

He sighs in defeat. "Barry wants to concentrate on beating Palmer and taking over the Battle Tower," he tells her in a murmur. "And I fully respect that. He also suggested asking Tobias."

"Tobias?" Her mouth drops open in recognition. "Oh, of course! He won the Sinnoh League all of those years ago!" she exclaims. "You could ask him!"

Paul is silent for a moment. "He was an option," he responds, "but legendaries are not permitted amongst the league members."

Her face flattens. "Oh," she says forlornly. Back to square one, then.

"Hey, Paul!" a voice calls out excitedly. "C'mere a sec!" Ash is waving towards him a few feet away, while Silver stands next to him, his face blank. At least he's not scowling.

"I'll be back." Paul turns his palm over to touch Dawn's, before he rises smoothly from his seat.

Dawn waves at Ash and Silver before telling Paul to come back soon. She leaves their table as well to walk over to the edge of the lake. Before she turns around to the water, though, she takes in the heartwarming view in front of her – all of her and Paul's closest family, friends, and Pokémon, laughing and enjoying the time together. In the middle of his conversation with a rambunctious Ash and a scowling Silver, Paul catches her eye and gives her a small, but crooked smirk, which she returns with a beam.

A familiar breeze wafts through the tendrils of Dawn's curled hair, prompting her eyes to slowly close and the corner of her lips to turn upward in a serene smile. The final guest is here.

"Thank you, Mesprit," she whispers, as she turns towards to the lake.

.

Cynthia moans, a palm slapping against the glass tabletop. "Lucian shouldn't have done such a thing in the first place, though!"

"What's done is done," Paul responds, in the big office chair across from her. "There's nothing we can do about it now."

Lucian has publicly announced his desire to battle Paul, and Sinnoh is going crazy over it; they _love_ it – Lucian, a powerful Elite Four member, will defeat Paul in battle and become the restoring hope to the League and set things right.

A determined look crosses Cynthia's face as she rises from her own chair. "Don't worry, Paul. I will talk to him about this." He says nothing as she leaves the champion's office.

But really, Paul is annoyed. It's fine that Lucian wants to challenge him. More than fine, actually – Paul welcomes the challenge, even if it has come at a bad time, but Cynthia shouldn't have to talk to Lucian about that kind of thing now that _he_ is the champion. He should be the one to set things straight with him; he should be the one to tell Lucian that they must hold off battling until Paul can properly settle in as the champion.

He lets out a frustrated breath, leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes.

Later that night, when he arrives home, Paul immediately spots Dawn sitting at the dining room table, her Pokégear in her hands. Her face is etched with worry and he wants to smooth it away.

"Dawn?"

She looks up, and her azure eyes are full of tears. "Paul," she cries softly, standing up in a blink of an eye and attacking him with an embrace. Paul doesn't know what's going on, but he knows he doesn't like seeing her like this one bit.

"What's wrong, Dawn?" he asks his wife, a hand immediately reaching for the back of her head.

"Mr. Baies passed away." Her voice is slightly muffled from her face being buried into her chest.

Mr. Baies . . . ? Oh, Monsieur Baies from Kalos. He was the old owner of the Berry House near the Rivière Walk in Kalos. He didn't know that Dawn still kept tabs on him. "I . . I'm sorry. I know he was very important to you." He places her hands on her shoulders and squeezes gently.

"I-I've been called for the will reading." Her voice is full of unspoken questions.

Paul isn't surprised to hear this, though. "He had taken such a liking to you when we were in Kalos," he comments.

Her cheeks flush. "Will you come with me?" she asks in a small, shy voice.

Paul feels his heart fracturing at her fragile state. "I . . ." He wants nothing more than to be by her side, just as she has been for him, but instead, he sighs in defeat. "I wish I could, but I have to stay behind with Cynthia and handle the Lucian situation, since it has gotten out of hand."

Her face falls, before she closes her eyes and opens them once, her blue irises shining a little brighter. "I understand," Dawn says sympathetically, placing a hand on top of his left hand, where his platinum wedding band wraps around his ring finger, and squeezes gently in an attempt to comfort him. "Things will look up. You are the Champion of Sinnoh and you will prove to be a worthy one to the people."

This seems to work, as he grabs her waist and pulls her close, kissing her forehead. Shouldn't he be the one to comfort her, not vice versa? He doesn't like this sudden weakness he is feeling, but he knows he can afford to feel it around Dawn, the one he loves the most. "Thank you."

He knows that Dawn knows that it is not just a thank you. It's an 'I love you,' it's an 'I needed that,' and it's an 'I need you.'

And he certainly shows it later that night.

Paul has been so busy with the League that he has had to cancel on events with her and their families, and even their sex life suffered, too – it's their first time since their honeymoon. Though sex has never been a prominent part of their relationship, Paul didn't realize that he missed this feeling of being with Dawn until tonight, but is satisfied and happy nonetheless, and hopes that she is, too.

.

Cynthia comes over for a meeting with Paul the next day while Dawn is out, as she is making preparations for her trip. Zoey is going to take her to the airport tonight, since Paul must leave for Lily of the Valley Island in the evening to speak to the League Association about Bertha's retirement.

He still doesn't know what to do about finding her replacement, so Cynthia suggests asking Byron once more – after all, Aaron was a gym leader in Solaceon Town who quit after she asked him numerous times to take an Elite Four position. Then, Cynthia also adds that there is no pressure to ask Byron – he should pick whoever he feels deserves the position.

So with a nod of agreement and a determined look in his eyes, Paul tells her that for now, he decides he will request for Bertha to stay on for another year.

But Cynthia's eyes widen and she crosses her arms over her chest in disapproval. "You'll have to find a way to make a mark somehow and gain the public's hearts," she advises, "and asking Bertha to stay is simply a sign of pushing it off. You need to do damage control."

"Then how much _more_ damage control do I need to do, Cynthia?" he snaps in frustration. "Every time I try and it seems as though things will get better, all of a sudden, some other issue pops up and things get worse. You know how much I've done within the past 6 months to set things straight but it never is enough. I sat through the whole Jubilife Jamboree, I went to all of those stupid meetings with the Sinnoh branch of Mountain Patrol – "

"I know." Cynthia exhales. "I made you do the silliest of things. I even asked you to marry Dawn, without you being properly prepared for taking the next step in your relationship, and I'm sorry that nothing has worked so far."

She is wrong about that last part, of course, but because Paul still hasn't told her that he proposed to Dawn long before she told him to, he doesn't interject.

"Your marriage to Dawn, though," she continues, "will work. Hold a press conference announcing your marriage. I know that you aren't ready to completely bring it out into the open, so you don't have to reveal that Dawn is your wife just yet. Just slowly take Dawn out into the public eye and do things together – take her out on dates, bring her to events, and give the public a show."

Paul is troubled by her words. "No, not now." His voice is terse. He doesn't want to treat his marriage like a game, and can't subject this to Dawn now. She has only been just starting to feel free and content again in the face of the media circus.

"Then when, Paul?" Cynthia presses. "Everyone is going to know you married Dawn sooner or later anyway, so why not now?"

"Just . . . just not now," is all he can muster, as he walks away from her and out of the living room. As he steps over the threshold, though, he feels a familiar presence and his ears barely catch the sound of soft sniffles, which make him freeze. He slowly turns to his left to see Dawn, eyes clenched closed, leaning against the wall near the doorway and silently crying to herself.

How long has she been standing there for? He takes a step forward and her eyes fly open, widening, sensing his presence as well. Paul hates the fact that they are full of tears. He outstretches a hesitant hand to her, shame marring his face.

But she, in turn, takes a step back and whispers, "No."

"Dawn." His hand is still out towards her, but she has already gone to lock herself in their room.

.

Her legs move her to their bedroom on her own accord. Her hands fumble against the lock on the door and then shakily try to pack clothes into an attaché. She feels numb on the inside, but her mind is reeling with all of the things she discovered from overhearing Paul and Cynthia's exchange.

Paul didn't propose on his own – it was Cynthia who had asked him to marry Dawn. So, that means . . . he didn't want to marry her? She said that she knew he wasn't prepared to get married and wasn't ready to bring their marriage out in the open. He wasn't ready to go public with Dawn when they were dating either.

But he married her anyway, and now, Cynthia is forcing him to go public with their relationship for the sake of good publicity. It's not a bad idea, and even Dawn suggested the same after Paul became the champion, but he refused. He hasn't wanted to go public, but is this the real reason why?

So, it must mean that Paul has never wanted any of this. Not rushing in their relationship, not the marriage, not putting on a show. All he ever wanted was to become champion.

It also begs the question, though: does he feel trapped in their marriage? Is she getting in the way of his ambitions? He has so much to deal with, and their marriage is just another. He has never been one for relationships, and he warned her so when they got together that he might come across as distant and unaffectionate, but that's the way he was. They would have to take things slow and Paul could keep no promises about where the relationship would take them. So, though she knows that Paul loves her, in hindsight, she realizes that she should have been surprised that he married her when he did. It had to be too soon.

A choked, surprised gasp escapes Dawn's lips as that last thought unsettles her mind.

They rushed into their marriage.

Now, Paul will remain unhappy and stuck, and . . . she can't bear to finish the thought.

The worst part of it all, though, is that the path they are on is one that is horridly familiar to Dawn.

She hears a quick rasp of knuckles against the doors but ignores it. Her hands wring the silky fabric of a dress, as her mind wanders down a dangerous line of thought, one that occasionally plagued her mind in her childhood when she feared about falling in love. (Though, she was able to successfully suppress those same fears when she was marrying Paul.)

There is another, more persistent knock before she hears a soft, but muffled voice nearly say, "Dawn it's me, Cynthia. Can you please open the door?"

Her body goes rigid. She isn't sure whose face she doesn't want to see more – Paul's or Cynthia's. Is she more angry that Cynthia is treating their relationship like a game for the sake of politics, or more sad that Paul went along with it without a care or, at the very least, without telling Dawn the truth behind his proposal?

"Paul is gone, I promise." Dawn jolts from where she sits on the edge of the bed, nearly falling off. "I sent him away."

So, she sets down the dress in her hand, arises from the bed and walks to the door. Before she opens it, she sniffles and wipes her tears away.

"Dawn," Cynthia calls out tenderly, as her face comes into view, but Dawn stares at her silently, internally begging to herself not to cry in front of the former champion. "I know that you heard quite a few things out there just now."

"I . . ." Dawn swallows thickly. "I did," she responds dumbly. She has so much she wants to say, but words fail to come to her mind.

"Please, listen to me very carefully," Cynthia implores, slowly placing a hand on Dawn's shoulder, who has to resist the urge to shrug it away. "In spite of whatever you just heard, please know that Paul loves you above all else."

Dawn lets out a shaky breath, and closes her eyes once, before they fly open in newfound determination and strength. "He may love me, but he didn't want to marry me – our marriage's foundation isn't based on love, but politics," she replies sourly.

"It was rushed, yes, but he did want to marry you," she assures, her voice still calm and serene, like nothing is wrong.

"No!" Dawn cries. "He did it for his image, not for us . . ." Dawn knows in her heart that Paul loves her, she really does. But she also knows what Paul's true intentions mean for their marriage. It also begs the awful question . . . has some of his actions in their marriage been a farce? How much of what he has said and declared true? Dawn knows Paul loves her, but does he love enough to be a true husband to her?

"You asked him to marry me, Cynthia. He didn't do it on his own. That's why he doesn't care about or concentrates on our marriage as much as he should."

And neither does Cynthia, Dawn realizes with a start.

This woman, standing in front of her . . . though there is tenderness in her eyes, there is no compassion.

She is simply here to console Dawn so she can go back to being the good wife she needs to be for Paul's image.

Cynthia is a woman known for her compassion, and though Dawn cannot testify that it is entirely dishonest, she can say that there are intentions looming beneath her actions and words – though, not malicious, they are part of the politics behind the Pokémon League, especially with Paul; whether it is Cynthia's choice or she has been forced or jaded by the circumstances, Dawn is unnerved.

"Dawn," Cynthia starts, her voice still calm, but Dawn wonders now how much patience is she being able to keep behind that soft tone, "you're going to Kalos for a few days, yes? Use that time to clear your mind. Remember that you promised to stand by Paul's side no matter the cost — you are married, and this is the time he needs you the most."

She pats her hand softly and leaves the room, and Dawn has to stop herself from flinching at the contact.

Dawn must admit that Cynthia is right, and has deeply respected her and her way of thinking since she first met her . . . but after today, there is a part of her that has lost that respect for her – it has been replaced with a small, low-burning resentment.

She doesn't need more than that one luggage bag to fill with essentials. Clothes and shoes are easily replaceable — she only has packed her favorite outfits in there. Her wedding dress is in Twinleaf Town, in her old closet, as she got married there. She has packed some necessary items, along with a few gifts Paul got her when they were dating. Her sketchbook, and her mother's first ribbon. Some pictures from their wedding album. Her grand festival trophy. The rest, if pressing, she will ask Maylene to send to her mother.

Zoey will be here soon to take her to the airport, so she needs to quickly finish what she must do before leaving.

.

Dawn inhales softly, her eyes slowly opening as her resolve strengthens. _Marley Grayson_ , she writes neatly on the small strip of paper. _Specialty: Not in Pokémon with a particular type, but in Pokémon with high speed._

A parting gift to her husband.

She has thought about it for a while — besides Barry, someone else who is strong, determined, and cares for Pokémon. Yes, the person happened to be a woman as well, but that wasn't the reason why she thought of her. Though she only met her once, Dawn saw all of these traits shine through Marley when she helped Shaymin get to the Meadow of Gracidea Flowers. She is quirky, too, with her own type of personality that will fit right into the Elite Four.

As an afterthought, she flips the small note over and writes in her pretty, cursive handwriting, _I love you_.

She remembers Paul's shame, his guilt, and stress. He bears the weight of the Sinnoh region on his shoulders — the last thing he needs to worry about is a marriage he was not ready for. She loves Paul immensely, and loved the feeling of being his wife before her illusion was shattered, but she wants to take away her share of the burden off of his shoulders. She knows he is probably worried about their marriage and about how he deceived her, and so she wants to take that away from the sea of his other concerns.

It would have been different if he had told her why he wanted to marry her, since he wouldn't have the burden of deceiving her — Dawn would have still said yes to the marriage, knowing that she would be marrying him for political purposes, because she would do anything for him.

She would even leave him.

.

When she tells her father this, curled up on his couch in his home in Kalos, he is utterly confused – she's not making any sense, at all. She's leaving him because he married her for the sake of improving his political image, yet she says if he had asked her to marry him for political reasons, she would have accepted?

Dawn blows her nose into a tissue a few times before she tries to clarify to her father. "I believe that he did love me, but he didn't want to marry me – he wasn't ready. And then he felt guilty and shameful about using our marriage to boost his image even though Cynthia kept pressing him to. He wasn't ready for any of it. I wanted to free him from this guilt, and from a marriage he didn't want."

Was this how it felt like when her father left her mother? He didn't want to leave her or Dawn, but her mother explained to her many times that he felt trapped in their marriage, and that it wasn't something they should have rushed into because it ultimately spoiled their life together.

Leaving was the best thing he could have done for them both. The opportunity presented itself when he received an offer to conduct his research on mega evolution abroad in Kalos, after he and his colleagues conducted studies on the experience share and presented it to a team including their mentor, Professor Rowan, and Professor Oak. Her father, Professor Sycamore, and Lucas's father were the ones on the team presenting it. And, of course, though he has loved Johanna and Dawn to death, they agreed that their marriage was needless and having him stay in Sinnoh with her to raise Dawn would get in the way when he had a huge career ahead of him.

"You shouldn't be the one to decide if he was ready or not . . . he's a grown man and can decide for himself," he tells her sternly. "I don't believe that Paul didn't want to marry you, Dawn. I know him very well." He rubs her shoulder soothingly.

"But Dad, that's why he never brought our relationship into the public eye and kept making excuses not to. And I thought I knew him, too, Dad. I'm his wife." Her voice is hoarse from crying. Shouldn't he, of all of the people, understand why she left him?

He crosses his arms over his chest, leaning back against the sofa, and raises an eyebrow. "Right. His wife. Tell me, then, how do you expect to free him from this marriage, as you claim, if you don't take that ring off your finger and still call yourself his wife?"

Her breath becomes caught in her throat as she realizes that he is right. She is silent for a moment before she responds that she needs time to break away from him fully.

Dawn's father is still confused, though. There has to be more to it than this – Dawn fully understands that her husband would need to devote his life to the League, at least at the start, and that sacrifices have to be made for it, even in their marriage. She is blowing the whole thing out of proportion, but she is stubborn, and his relationship with her is already so delicate as it is, so it is best not to press her too much.

"Right." He sighs, rubbing his jaw with his free hand. Johanna has always been better at handling this kind of stuff, but Dawn specifically came here to him, not her. He would have to fulfill his duty as her father. "Whatever you need, ma chérie," he tells her, a hand smoothening down her hair.

.

The funeral rolls around, and though Dawn promised that she wouldn't cry, she sheds a tear when Mr. Baies gets buried.

She tears up once more, when at the will reading, she learns that he passed on the Berry House to her. She is very much surprised by this, but Mr. Baies's little granddaughter comes up to her along with his son, who tells her that she rightfully owns it. He also tells her that they are heading to Kanto, but asks if he can bring his daughter to visit from time to time.

Dawn tearfully smiles. "Of course," she tells him. "It's always been yours."

She comes home – her father's home – extremely upset, and doesn't sleep that night. She's been experiencing reoccurring dreams of day her father left her and her mother, and she doesn't want to dream it again.

So, instead, her sadistic mind wonders what Paul is doing right now. He hasn't called her, but then again, she hasn't told him that she has left him. After all, he betrayed her, so it serves him right for her to betray him.

But the thought of hurting him like this makes Dawn feel ill enough to sprint to the bathroom and vomit the contents of her dinner into the toilet.

.

"What are your plans now, Dawn? . . . Are you going back to Sinnoh to officially divorce him?" her father asks her over breakfast the next morning, before ripping off a piece of his croissant to throw into his mouth.

Dawn looks up from her orange juice – no, her choice of drink was not intentional at the time she poured it into her glass, but now, it makes her feel sick to her stomach, and she has to resist the urge to puke again. "I-I can't go back." She hears the fear trying to creep into her voice and tries to mask it with a slight cough. If she goes back, she won't be able to hide from him what is going to unfold over the next few months, and its consequences.

Her father frowns, and swallows his food before speaking. "What am I supposed to tell Paul when I talk to him? That is, if you want me talking to him."

She grimaces. "Dad, I won't stop you – I know you were close with him, too. Talk to him if you want, but just don't tell me about."

He raises an eyebrow.

"Even if I tell him if you're pregnant?" he finally poses, after a moment.

Her eyes widen. Busted. "H-How did you know?"

His snort is uncharacteristic. "I was the one who figured out Johanna was pregnant before she could even realize it."

"Oh," she replies back dumbly, in an attempt to end the conversation.

"So?" he instead presses immediately, knowing his daughter well. "Are you going to tell him?"

"Not now," she lies, whispering. "He has too much on his plate with the League. Things need to calm down before I talk to him about anything."

Her father purses his lips and stays silent, but Dawn knows he want to say something. She doesn't want to hear it, though. She arises from the chair, and walks out of the living room.

.

Dawn's heart stops beating for a few moments as she sees the hand that has pinned the League Association badge onto Marley's label bears the platinum wedding band Dawn had put on Paul's finger nearly a year ago.

She just turned on the TV in her father's apartment, she and Piplup wanting to watch _My Sweet, Sweet Lady_ , an old movie featuring the former champion Diantha, while curling up on her couch with a copy of Poke Chic in one hand, and pecha berry ice cream in another, before her father came over for dinner.

But the television had turned on to _Best of Sinnoh TV_ , since that was the last thing she had been watching before falling sleeping. They were doing a feature on Marley's inauguration into the Elite Four – Dawn hadn't known that she had participated and won the Sinnoh league a few years back, so her suggestion worked out perfectly.

It was her luck – good or bad, she doesn't know – that the news anchors also took note of the wedding band on Paul's finger, and were trying to speculate who he married, and when. They're smart, Dawn admits, as she watches them pull up pictures of his past appearances and zoom in the ones where he has the wedding ring on.

She is in disbelief that he still wears his ring, too.

She looks down at her own left hand that is atop the magazine that rests on her swollen belly.

But then again, she still wears her wedding and engagement rings as well.


	4. thought i could leave every piece of you

**I'm sorry for the late update, everyone! I hope you can understand that I am busy with my job, grad school, and my personal life. As much as I wish I had the time to work on my writing full-time, I unfortunately don't. A lot of things are happening right now and I'm struggling to balance everything and not crack under the pressure – and I don't want to crank out something crappy under the pressure of having to deliver quickly. It's not fair to me, as a writer, and neither to you all as readers, so, I do need to ask you all to be understanding and patient with me as I try to sort everything in my life out. I do my best to try to find time to write in between everything and though it is a slow process, I promise you that I haven't stopped writing. It requires some time on my part, but I do write and will update whenever I can.**

 **A heads up, this chapter hasn't been properly proofread - I was a little too excited to post this and will do so in the morning. (I am debating if I should try to find a beta reader - do we still have any around here? - for "bluebells in bloom and berry gardens" and "In Abundant Relations" to speed up the process, as half of my troubles are finding time to proofread and also on figuring out how to phrase certain things. If any beta reader is interested, please feel free to reach out to me!)**

 **Anyway, thank you for your patience and understanding! I hated to have kept all you waiting like this, but I hope you enjoy the chapter - it's a long one! I also hope you all have a happy holiday season! :) As always, thank you for reading!**

 _Five Years Later_

On the outskirts of Camphier Town, on Route 7, there is a large manor with vast berry fields. Locals and travellers have known it as the Berry House.

After the original owner passed away, a young, pregnant woman who came from abroad took over to take care of his fields. She garnered attention after she coerced a Snorlax to awaken and move from a bridge it was blocking on the route with a poffin – a delicacy only found in Sinnoh (so, she must be a Sinnohan) – she made with berries she grew in her large garden. People showed interest in these poffins, and so, she started to make and sell them. Supposedly, it started off simply as a way for her to earn a living, but since her poffins became popular and, after she gave birth to a baby girl, she started holding cooking classes in the manor's huge kitchen, free of charge for trainers.

Her large, picturesque manor was enough to grab people's attention, with its simple, but beautiful exterior and interior, and charming gazebo in the garden (and in it, that sleepy Snorlax she ended up taking in), but she, her daughter, and her Pokémon were what made people stay and come back.

She has attracted people from all over Kalos, and sometimes, there are homesick Sinnohans who have shown up, too. Some of these Sinnohans are utterly shocked to see that she has been hiding here all along, while others don't recognize her, as it is rumored that she was once a famous coordinator in Sinnoh.

Whichever case it may be, she loves to hear them speak of Sinnoh, of her motherland, wanting for her daughter to learn about their Sinnohan roots. It comes as a shock to many, actually, that though the young woman has come from Sinnoh, she is also half-Kalosian from her father's side. (Though, once, she also mentioned to a passerby that her husband in Sinnoh – elusive, unseen, and unheard – is also Almian and Kantonian, which made the little girl on her hip a mix of ethnicities.)

Some evenings, she and her daughter go to the Parfum Palace, strolling along the peaceful Rivière Walk. Her manor is also 45 minutes away from Lumiose, (as well as Cyllage and Santalune city for visiting boutiques. She has established herself as a well-known Poke stylist, teaches some fashion workshops and classes at Lumiose Fashion Institute of Technology, and even judges a few competitions. That's part-time though.

She loves the scenic location that she lives in, she loves her Berry House, she loves the berry fields in the back of her home, and she loves her 5-year-old daughter (who asks for a brother or sister because her friends at school have one, too).

But she misses her husband, her friends, her family, and Sinnoh.

.

"You know you can't refuse a favor asked by Raoul Contesta. If he has asked you to judge the contest, then you have to suck it up and go to Lake Valor."

Mr. Contesta wants Dawn to be a guest judge with Wallace and Fantina for the both Lake Valor Pokémon Contest and the Valor Collection. In _Sinnoh_ , the place she hasn't returned to in 5 years, with reason. Anyone she has gotten to meet from Sinnoh have come to Kalos to meet her, but she has never gone back to see anyone; she even only sees her mother when she comes to meet her and Lily once a year.

Dawn has a resigned look on her face as she watches her 4-year-old daughter water bushes of Oran berries with her Psyduck watering can, a gift from a travelling Sinnohan who has always visited when missing home. "I know," she finally breathes, her eyes moving to the young researcher next to her child, Sarah, taking notes on the mutation berries that have sprouted in the garden.

She mentally reminds herself that she has pull out the weeds and spray repel on the berry bushes before they attract wild Pokémon, or else she will have to fight them off with her Typhlosion.

"I know, Dad. You're right," she tells her father, who has come to make his weekly visit from the next town over. "Mr. Contesta pulled so many strings to introduce and have me teach coordinating classes at Lumiose FIT. It wouldn't be right of me to refuse him. Paris asked me to come, too, and I can't say no to her." She asked Dawn to have an exhibition performance with her Lopunny, showcasing contest combinations and mega-evolution – it would be her grand debut after a 5 year sabbatical.

"There is a time that comes for everything," he says, his voice holding a touch of a parental empathy. "You have to go to Sinnoh, Dawn. You have no choice."

She sighs. "You won't be able to watch Lily for me while I'm gone, though." Truth be told, though, she isn't comfortable with the idea of leaving Lily while she's all the way in Sinnoh.

Her dad frowns. "I have to go to Kanto. I have no choice." Her father has to attend an evolution exposition where he will be presenting his doctorate research on Kangaskhan and Marowak being from the same evolution line to Professor Oak and Professor Rowan.

"I understand, Dad. You've put so much work into your dissertation, too, and your hard work is going to pay off," she says reassuringly, as she brings her mug of coffee to her lips. "Wait, is Lucas going to the expo?"

Her dad shakes his head. "No, actually, I don't think so. Ralph will be there for sure, but he has probably asked Lucas to remain in Sandgem to handle the lab while he and Rowan are gone. I would definitely ask him – I'm sure he'd be happy to watch over Lily for you."

So, she arises from her seat and walks inside the house to call Lucas on the landline.

It's been a few months since she last heard his voice, from when he and Barry visited her in Lumiose City, so the homesickness hits her a little harder as she catches up with him and makes her request (it is not as though she doesn't miss Sinnoh).

" _Of course, I can watch over Lily the days you're judging the contests, Dawn_. _Barry and I wouldn't mind at all."_

A thought occurs to Dawn then. "Your dad won't get mad at you for leaving the lab, will he?" she worries, knowing how hard his father can be on Lucas.

 _"Nah. My dad owes your dad for getting him a research opportunity in the first place._ "

Oh, that's right — Dawn had nearly forgotten that their fathers used to work together as research assistants to Professor Rowan, until her father got his research opportunity and left them. Her father, Professor Augustine Sycamore, and Lucas's father, Ralph Dilan.

After thanking him along with a brief conversation about the details surrounding her visit, as well has his research, she ends the call and turns around to return outside to the garden.

But her father stands in front of her, with his arms crossed over his chest, a wary look on his face. "What about Johanna? Wasn't it more logical to ask her to take care of Lily than Lucas?"

Dawn shakes her head." I don't want to drag mom all the way to Lake Valor when she has to teach. I'll visit Twinleaf for a few days after I'm done with judging." Really, she didn't want to be near Lake Verity, something she knew her mother would understand.

"You know, Dawn . . ."

"What, Dad?"

"I'm surprised. Twinleaf is farther from Veilstone than Lake Valor, but . . . "

She feels a small rush of irritation. Why does her father try to act like this _now_? "What?" she repeats, making the annoyance clear in her voice.

He is unfazed. "It's a good opportunity to tell him, especially now, before he ends up seeing you and Lily at Ash's wedding next week."

Dawn looks away from him in shame. "I don't know how he's going to react, Dad," her voice cracks. "I did a really bad thing by keeping it a secret before that maybe it's too late to tell him now." A tear slips down her cheek and she quickly moves to wipe it away. "What if he doesn't want Lily? I don't want to tell her someday that her father didn't want her."

"Tell me . . . why do you still wear your wedding ring?" he questions, his gray eyes piercing into what feels like her soul.

She averts her gaze away from him once more. "I-I like the ring," she mumbles dumbly.

"I fail to understand." He roughly runs a hand through his hair – a habit she remembers Paul picking up from him, no doubt. "You tell everyone that you're a married woman here. You still wear those rings. You haven't tried to divorce him. Yet you haven't tried to reach out to him again, let alone tell him about Lily. For the past five years, _you've been acting like nothing is wrong_."

Her dad places her hands on her shoulders. "Ignorance isn't bliss, Dawn," he explains slowly. "You can't keep it up or else it will wreck you in the long-run."

.

"Paul."

He looks up from his paperwork to see Marley appear in the doorway, with her usual blank face.

"I'm making an adjustment to my team," she states simply, slowly sauntering towards his desk.

He raises his eyebrow, as he folds his arms over his chest and leans back in his office chair. "May I know what is this adjustment is?"

She holds up a piece of paper. "I'm replacing my Starmie with the Gothitelle I found in Unova as a Gotherita . . . I've brought the paper for the change and just need your signature of approval." She speaks in her usual monotone voice, but there is a glimmer in her eyes that Paul hasn't seen in a while.

Paul sighs. "Doesn't Gothitelle specialize in defense?"

"Special defense," she corrects.

"Marley." His voice is disapproving, though he can't help but admit that the idea is intriguing and would be good to throw off an opponent. "Your team is supposed to be specializing in speed." That was the reason why he had allowed the addition of her Shaymin to her official team two years ago – but it was only allowed to battle in its Sky Forme, where it became speedy.

Her eyes flash angrily. "Aaron can use a Drapion even though it's not a bug type to throw off his opponents" – her voice takes on a dark tone, though Paul is unfazed – "but I can't have my Gothitelle to throw off my opponents?"

"Dragon was a bug type as a Skorupi," Paul reminds her, trying to hide the amusement in his voice.

"It doesn't matter." She crosses her arms over her chest as well, meeting him with a level stare. "My Arcanine, Shaymin, Crobat, and Jolteon are all fast, so one Pokémon that has good defense is good to throw off the opponent."

Though Paul has able to establish authority with the Elite Four within the past five years as compassionate but stern champion, he's learned that Marley is stubborn in her own right. "Fine. Give me the papers." He outstretches a hand, and finally lets out a smirk. He can't help but admit that he agrees it would be a nice change of pace, especially since she has been bored as of late.

So, he signs them and then puts them in an envelope, promising that he will submit them to the head of the Pokémon League Association before the end of the day.

She gives him a simple thanks as she walks out of the room.

As much as he appreciates Marley's straightforwardness, she's too bleak to interact with out of the Elite Four. On the other hand, Flint and Aaron, though livelier, are sometimes a little too lively for.

Lucian, ironically enough, is the only one who is more pleasant to talk to; hence, Lucian has been the man Paul turns to for advice, (ever since Cynthia officially left the league and Paul defeated him in a battle for the champion's seat nearly four years ago) especially since Dawn left him.

.

As he has for the past five years, Paul starts his day off alone, no longer in the apartment in Hearthome. After Dawn left him, he rented it out and moved back to Veilstone, though decided to buy another house near Reggie, to give him, Maylene, and their seven-year-old son, Wesley, some space.

Today, though, something catching his eye breaks his mundane morning routine.

He stares at the photo of him, Dawn, and Professor Augustine Sycamore at his wedding. Dawn . . . well he doesn't want to get into that, but Professor Sycamore was a mentor to Paul back when he was trying to figure out mega-evolution, but he hasn't spoken to him since Dawn left, in spite of the many times he has reached out to Paul.

Another interesting break in his routine occurs, as well: Reggie calls that morning and tells him that he, Wes, and Maylene want to go to the big contest that is at Lake Valor today.

Maylene has found a mild interest in contests since she became close friends with Dawn, and though her relationship with her brother-in-law has immensely improved since his gym battle against her many years ago, she can't help but slightly resent him for the fact that she lost her very good friend because of him.

"I know. They asked me to be a judge but I declined."

Reggie is silent for a moment. "Dawn is judging the contest. They probably asked her to judge since you declined."

"That's why Maylene wants to go." Was this Reggie's way of asking for permission? "You don't need to tell me. Enjoy the contest." As an afterthought, he adds, "Tell Wes I said hi."

.

He finds himself standing in front of the lake, his elbows resting against the railing, Torterra resting next to him. Behind him, he can hear the telecast of the contest from the giant screen at the top of the contest hall building. He can hear her mellifluous voice, optimistic and encouraging as she comments on a coordinator's performance, but can't bring himself to turn around to look at her face.

He relaxes once he hears Marion's voice once more, introducing the next participant, but still doesn't turn around.

He suddenly feels a tap on his leg. Surprised, he looks down to see a young, blue-haired child pout up at him. He finds her surprisingly adorable, and it only takes him a few seconds to realize that it is because she looks like a younger version of Dawn. A cold feeling washes over him as he ponders if this, in fact, Dawn's child. Does this mean she was able to move on? But she never sent divorce papers, and neither did he. (Hell, he never took off his wedding ring.)

He bends down slightly, as to make her feel less intimidated. "Hey."

She's quiet, shyly gazing at him in awe with her wide, blue eyes. She is like a little bluebell – blue, delicate, and dainty.

"Where's your mother?" he asks, though he's sure he already knows the answer to that.

Confirming his suspicions, the little girl turns around and points, his eyes following her finger to the giant television screen, where he finally, finally, sees Dawn, commenting on another performance.

She looks nearly the same, besides her facial features growing a little sharper, her cheekbones a little more prominent, and the fact that she has let her now longer hair down. Her blinding smile is beautiful and makes his heart skip a beat as always. Her beautiful blue eyes shine with delight, and he is staggered by how the little girl in front of him looks so similar to his wife.

"Dawn," he whispers. She _has_ to be the mother of this child.

The little girl gives a half-toothy grin, a hand outstretched to the woman's face on the screen. "Mama! So pwetty!" It's the first time she has spoken, and Paul turns to look at her quizzically. He could swear he has just heard a trace of an accent in her voice – Kalosian? Almian? He's not quite sure, but it means Dawn moved to somewhere abroad and explains why he and Lucian weren't able to find her after she disappeared.

"Where's your dad?" he questions next, his terse voice holding both curiosity and dread. _Curiosity killed the Delcatty._

She merely frowns and doesn't answer, moving to pat his Torterra fondly, who calmly lets her. "Terra!" she cries happily.

Her mispronunciation has the corner of his lips twitching upward. " _Tor_ terra," he corrects.

But the little bluebell turns to him, her face scrunched up in irritation, and it makes Paul smirk. "No, it's Terra. Twust me, I know." She turns back to the Pokémon with shining eyes, beaming at him. "Hi, Terra!"

Torterra's eyes move to Paul's, who gives a nod of approval. The Continent Pokémon lowers his head, allowing her to climb on — just like Paul lets him do with Wes, during the rare occasions he chooses to play with Torterra over Maylene's Lucario.

As he watches them play, he thinks that a part of him knows he shouldn't be doing this, he shouldn't be letting the fantasy that his mind wanders to, to play out, especially since Dawn had this child with someone else . . . maybe. It's hard to tell, considering the little bluebell is a carbon copy of her mother. How old is she, anyway? He will have to ask her how she is . . . as soon as she starts answering his questions.

He decides to backtrack and start with a simpler question. "What's your name?" Still, no answer. Strange. "My name is Paul." He tries to smile but is pretty sure it comes out as a grimace.

She suddenly shakes her head and climbs off of Torterra. "Mama says Papa helping lotta people and P-Pokémon."

"Oh." That doesn't give him the slightest clue.

He hears a loud growl, and the admittedly adorable, blushing face in front of him frowns, tears starting to form in her eyes.

"I'm hung'wy, but I can't find Unca Luca."

Luca? Paul does not know someone with that name. So, he holds her by the hand and says that he'll get her something to eat, recalling Torterra into his Pokéball(but not before she exclaimed, "Bye, Terra!" and waving to him).

He takes her to one of the concession stands, where the lady is stunned that the Sinnoh Champion is here. He simply places a finger to his lips, indicating they shouldn't tell anyone.

"What do you want?" She is too short to see, so he lifts the 'Bluebell,' as he has been calling her in his head, and tells her to point out what she wants.

She's not sure, so he suggests a poffin. She sticks her tongue out. No more poffins, she tells him stubbornly. She pats her stomach and tells him she's eaten too many already.

He chuckles, understanding, though a pang of sadness hits him as well. If Dawn's her mother, of course, she'll be sick of poffins.

As he gets her a Poké Puff, he sets her down and pays the vendor for the snack. She tells him then that they live in a huge house with a big garden for berries, so her Mama makes and sells poffins all of the time.

Paul's eyebrows furrow as he thinks about why it sounds so familiar. He shakes his head. "Let's go find your Uncle."

His hand reaches for hers, ready to take her with him, but he sees a flash of blue before he can.

"Grnk!" he grunts, as he feels a small, but strong form slamming him into the grass. He vaguely hears the sound of cheering as his back hits the ground with a light thud, fitting on Piplup's end — the contest must have found a winner.

He blinks once, slightly disoriented, and then looks up to see the little, prideful assailant staring him down with his angry, hurt eyes.

He can recognize that Piplup anywhere.

Meanwhile, the little girl's cheeks puff up. "Pip'wip, no! Bad, bad!" she scolds, pointing a finger at him. "I'm tew'wing Mama!"

Piplup turns to twitter at her hurriedly, waving his flippers at Paul as he tries to justify his actions to the little girl.

"Lily!" A familiar voice calls out that makes Paul jolt in surprise.

Lily whips her head towards the man. "Unca Luca!" Scooping Piplup into her arms, she toddles to him and hugs his legs.

"You had me worried when I couldn't find you, Lillipup." Lucas watches Paul, unable to mask the shock on his face, as his hand pats the top of her head. So, Lucas is the uncle. Paul hasn't seen the researcher since the wedding.

"Unca Luca! Unca Luca!" she repeats with a giggle, seeming to enjoy how it rhymes. "No worry. I'm here with him – he showed me Terra!" The little bluebell excitedly gestures to Paul and adorably beams.

"Lucas," Paul finally says, with a small wave of his hand, ignoring Piplup's glare.

"Paul . . . it's been a while." He scratches the back of his head awkwardly.

He is about to start awkward small talk, but his breath gets caught in his throat as he sees a feminine figure behind Lucas walk towards them.

"Mama!" Bluebell squeals and drops Piplup, who nearly shrieks in response, before running to Dawn.

He can't force his eyes away.

"Hi, baby." She gives her daughter a beautiful smile, but then her breath visibly hitches and her eyes flicker to his, an unreadable expression on her face. "Paul."

"Dawn."

"Mama," the little bluebell tries to whisper, tugging on her mother's arm, though Paul can perfectly hear her soft voice. "He is Papa, wight?"

His heart leaps out of his chest. What he had thought . . . what he had hoped – so, it was all true?

The little girl's small, chubby finger points to him. "He's same in dat picture wi' Gwandpa! And he has a Terra!"

Paul feels the blood drain from his face, his heart pounding in realization.

Dawn's unsure face tilts down to meet Bluebell's. "Yes," Paul hears her answer softly. "That's your Papa."

Paul stands there in shock, silently watching Dawn's face, etched in worry like it is whenever she is troubled — and, as always, he wants to smoothen the lines. He wants to stuff his hands behind his pockets to make sure his hands can never reach her, he wants to hug and kiss her, he wants to turn around and get away from her. A rush of different emotions ambushes him at once: love, hurt, betrayal, and bewilderment, to name a few.

Dawn, too, stares at him with wide, uncertain eyes, though he can say for sure that they are filled with guilt.

He isn't really sure what to do.

His little Bluebell solves this problem, however, by running to Paul, hugging him tightly. "Paul! Paul! You awe my Papa, Papa! I can say Papa, wight?"

He doesn't say anything –he doesn't know what to say, at a loss for words — and simply pats her head and answers with a soft, "Yes."

His hand reaches for the small of Bluebell's back and nods at Lucas, who instantly understands the cue.

"Lillipup, let's get some ice cream!"

She looks at her mother, who nods. "'Kay!" She reaches Lucas's hand.

"Come on, you, too, buddy." Lucas tugs at Piplup's fin with his free hand, but he stubbornly keeps his feet planted onto the ground, defiance clear on his face. So, he pulls the Pokémon up and onto his shoulder, surprising him, and causing him to chirp angrily.

"Come on, Pip'wup!"

"Pip, pi – LUP!" he wails out, as Lucas suddenly pulls him up and walks away with Lily.

When Paul approaches her moments after, her head is tilted down, facing her shoes, and her shoulders are shaking. "Let's go talk somewhere private."

He takes her by the hand and leads her into the contest hall. The crowds have dispersed and the large auditorium completely empty now. He doesn't stop leading her until they reach the judging area.

"We have a daughter," he finally says, after a few moments of silence.

"We . . . we do."

"And you didn't think to tell me?" he looks at her expectantly, an eyebrow raised.

She looks away in shame. "I-It was too late to tell you."

"No, it wasn't." he insists, and she knows that he is right. "You should have come back. We could have done this together."

"But, I – "

" _But you_ left without a word and without looking back." His arms are crossed over his chest, an angry expression on his face. "You walked out with a suitcase in hand and I didn't know if you were just going to Kalos for the funeral, or you were _leaving_ me and our house. I wasn't even sure if you were coming back or not, dammit!" A fist pounds the judge's table, and it makes Dawn flinch.

"I had to find out through _Maylene_ that you really left, when she came to get your stuff – and now, I find out that you had our child and never told me once." He runs a hand through his hair, taking a deep breath and trying to calm himself down, something that he's been working on for the past couple of years. "Arceus, I would have stayed away from her if you wanted me to" – it's not true, though, he realizes, as soon as the words roll off of his tongue – "but you should have told me once. She's my daughter, too."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry . . . " She breaks into sobs, her hands flying to cover her face in shame. "You're right . . . I should have told you before, a long time ago, but I was just so alone . . . I was hurt, and scared that you would react badly – " The remaining words choke in her throat when he places a hand on the back of her head, pressing her close to his chest.

"Dawn. Did you . . . leave because you found out you were pregnant?" he asks quietly.

She furrows her eyebrows confused, but doesn't look up at him. "No, why would you think that? I found out I was pregnant after I left."

He doesn't answer, and instead, lets out a small breath, almost in relief, holding her tighter. "Then why did you leave? Was it really over what you heard Cynthia say that night?"

She squeezes her eyes shut and slowly begins shaking her head. "Not now, please." She swallows. "I promise to tell you, Paul, but not today, please."

"Fine," he concedes. "I just wish you had told me." His words come out in a mutter.

"I-I was worried you wouldn't want her."

Paul shakes his head and sighs, before a hint of a smile appears on his face. "How could I not? She's just like you."


	5. doubt, it kills everything that you love

**Hi, all! I'm sorry I disappeared for a while, but I am back with a brand new chapter! i wanted to post yesterday for Ikarishipping Day, but time eluded me. This chapter is a little short, but the next chapter is definitely longer and will be coming soon - I'm almost done writing it, actually. Enjoy reading and thank you for all of the love and support! It means the world to me!**

Self-loathingly, Dawn watches Lily happily play with her older cousin, Wes. It hurts her to see that _she_ was the reason why they couldn't become so close before. Maybe Paul's thinking the same thing, as he sits next to her and Maylene, lost in thought while facing the two kids.

Finally, he speaks. "It will be fine, Dawn. It's not like you're leaving her here for a week. It's only a matter of two days."

Dawn closes her eyes, trying to keep out the bubbling panic in her voice. "Paul - "

"I'm her father, too." Paul despises how petulant he comes across as, but is a little offended by her lack of faith in him.

At that moment, Lily walks up to her father and offers an oran berry from a bowl Reggie gave to her and Wes. Paul shakes his head but pats the top of her head gently, making Dawn's heart feel as though it is about to burst at their interaction.

"What else can you do Dawn? It's bad enough the Pokérazzi hound you and are now hounding my house. I won't let them hound her," he tells her sternly, pulling Lily closer to him protectively.

"I know, Paul, and I trust you," she assures, "but I've never left her alone with anyone but her grandparents." She turns to Maylene. "I don't mean any disrespect to you or Reggie, either, but I'm a little worried she might cry for me after a while."

"So, call Johanna," Paul suggests. "You and Lily won't have to make the journey to Twinleaf with everyone hounding you when you want to see your mother, then."

Dawn is silent for a moment, pensive. She absentmindedly watches Lily clasp her sticky fingers with Paul's, before she pats them with her free hand and pulls away to go back to playing with Wes, who happily hands her the bowl of berries. "No need to worry," she finally answers, the corners of her lips twitching into a smile. "We don't have to call Mom. She can stay here – after all, you're her father, too."

.

For the few days that Dawn remained in Sinnoh, she travelled between Lake Valor, Hearthome and Veilstone — she had wanted to visit Snowpoint to see Zoey and Candice, but it had proven to be difficult with the Pokérazzi hounding her, and she hadn't had much time before leaving to go Kanto for Ash and Misty's wedding.

As expected, the tabloids have gone crazy; Top Coordinator Dawn Berlitz returns from a 5-year sabbatical with a wedding ring on her finger. On top of that, witness accounts claim that Paul Rebolledo and a young girl were spotted in Lake Valor — is this his daughter? There's also a picture of Paul with the same child, but he's also with a woman . . . the elusive wife that the media has been desperate to find more on in the past five years.

The Pokérazzi have been so on top of things that it scares Dawn. How much longer are they going to stay out of public eye for before the dots are connected and they're exposed?

And this was why Paul, having firsthand experience with media as of late, was insistent on leaving Lily with him, Reggie, and Maylene. Though Dawn was hesitant at first, upon seeing how quickly Lily and Wes (who she was already guilty about taking away Lily from) got along, as well as Paul's fierce protectiveness over their daughter, she agreed to let Lily stay with them.

Dawn's eyes scan through the articles, but she loses focus as she hears Paul recount his time with Lily while she was away. She listens to Paul tell her mother that Lily would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night and crawl into his bed to sleep with him, which causes Dawn to smile.

He is a little hesitant as he speaks, though. Dawn can clearly tell that he must have been uncomfortable with and unsure about it at first, but, now, he has gotten the hang of it.

She sets the magazine down on her lap with an exhale of breath and looks across the other side of the plane – actually, the League's private jet, which Paul suggested taking to Kanto – where Lily, too, is talking excitedly to Barry and Johanna about her time spent at her Unca Reggie and Auntie Maylene's house.

"We fed Staw'ly – "

"And Bidoof!" Wesley, sitting on a nearby couch with Maylene and Reggie, chimes in.

"Oh, yeah – Bidoof, too! And, oh, a Stunky spway Wes!" She giggles, while Wes's cheeks redden. "He was stinky so Unca Reggie and I make him soap."

"That's right. Lily helped me add in the baking soda to the tamato berry and soap mixture I made to get the smell off of Wes." Reggie chuckles, patting Wes on the shoulders.

"And now you awl c'wean!" Lily cheers.

"Wow, that's a lot!" Barry starts off, equally as animated – though, knowing how much of a child he is at heart, Dawn knows it's genuine. "Wes got sprayed by a Stunky, but you both did get to meet a lot of Pokémon, Lillipup!"

"Barry," Dawn finds herself complaining reflexively at the nickname. "She's a kid, not a Pokémon!"

"Hey, Lu started it, not me!" she hears him yell back defensively.

"I think it's cute." Paul's soft voice startles Dawn, making her jump in her seat. She turns to see him standing over, an intent look in his eyes.

"I need to talk to you," he tells her simply.

It is time to have that talk, she supposes.

"Alright," she whispers.

To her surprise, he leads her to the back of the plane, into the jet's bedroom.

After sliding the door close, he gestures for her to sit on the queen-sized bed that is flush against the wall. She sinks into the surprisingly soft bedding, and as she shifts uncomfortably, she feels her breath begin to quicken.

Maybe, Paul senses it, as he takes a seat on the sofa in front of her, instead of next to her.

"Why did you leave?" he finally asks, after a few moments of maddening silence.

Dawn releases a sigh before she turns away, a scowl marring her face. "Right, how's _Cynthia_ doing?" Her voice is full of malice as she thinks of the woman who was partially responsible for their separation.

"What?" Paul's voice is full of confusion. "I don't know. I haven't spoken to her in a while."

"What?" Her eyes widen. "How could you have not? Hasn't she been your mentor as you've made you way up to champion?" There were rumors buzzing of him and Cynthia being in a romantic relationship for a while, too. But, _nope_ , Dawn wasn't keeping track of these rumors.

He looks away, his eyes hard. "She was making me do too many things for the sake of my image that I was losing sight of what it means to be a champion." He turns back to look at her straight in the eye, making a shiver roll back her spine. "So, I fired her as my consultant and did what I felt was right."

Dawn is taken aback by this. "You _fired_ her? _When_?"

"After I found your note about Marley." He gives her a knowing look, and she knows that it is something they must discuss later. "I've answered your questions, so answer mine. Why did you leave, Dawn?"

"You know why I left, Paul. I heard you and Cynthia talk about how you even went as far as marrying me to gain the public's approval."

"I don't know what you heard that day, but I never said that, Dawn," he promises, stretching up from the chair to come up and stand in front of her. "You jumped to conclusions and left without thinking things through." He rests his hand on her shoulders.

"I didn't think things through?!" she repeats in disbelief, immediately shaking his hands away. "Paul, did you think things through? Did you ever stop to wonder why I left? What you might have done to make me leave? I was your _wife_ , Paul. You wanted to marry me. We vowed to stand by each other's sides, but when I needed you, you weren't there for me. You would always cancel plans, you weren't there for me when Mr. Baies passed away, either . . ." She moves to quickly wipe stray tears.

Mr. Baies . . . the Berry House!

Paul has to suppress a gasp. That's where she's been hiding all of these years! That's why she moved to Kalos!

". . . but, Arceus, how long can a newly-wedded couple go without having sex! And then, I find out that you only married me to increase your popularity with the general public — the least you could have done was tell me that was your motivation for doing it."

Paul takes a step back and stares at the strange desperation in her eyes, realizing that something is off. This doesn't sound like Dawn. She promised to stand by his side and told him that he not being able to devote much time to her wouldn't put her off. And he knows that Dawn is stubbornly loyal and selfless. There has to be more to it . . . but what is the root of her problem?

"It was unfair to me — no, listen to me first, Paul," she insists, when she sees him open his mouth to object. "Paul, if you had told me, I wouldn't have minded doing it for you — I would do anything for you." Her eyes widen as those final words escape her lips unintentionally.

If Paul is surprised by her admission, he doesn't show it. "Dawn, I told you when I asked you to marry me that it would be hard to keep up with me, and that my focus was on the championship title."

"But you also told me you loved me, Paul!"

"I do love you, Dawn," he insists, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice and stay calm. "But I also told you that those responsibilities might come before our marriage, and that you'd have to pull me back on track – and you promised that you would. You said that we vowed to stay by each other's side, and I'm sorry that I wasn't a good husband to you, but you were quick to let go of my hand as well. I needed you to stand by me and pull me, but you ran away from it all."

"But you lied from the very start!" she cries, jumping to her feet, so she is standing in front of him now. "You intended to marry me for political gain and didn't even tell me!"

"You're wrong!" he finally snaps with an angry glare, his stormy eyes blazing. "Cynthia did suggest I should marry you to appeal to the public, but I didn't tell her that I already proposed to you on my own before!" He takes in a deep breath, trying to steady his emotions. "She wanted a media circus of a wedding, but I put my foot down to have the wedding that you and I wanted. She wanted me to reveal to the public that we were married, but I kept putting it off. I didn't want to use our marriage and have you pushed into the spotlight again. That's why she came over that day and why you heard what you did."

He comes up to her once more and places a hand on her head, giving into the urge to touch her hair — which is still as soft and silky as ever. "Troublesome idiot." The way he says it reminds Dawn of how he acted around her during their early days of dating, and even before that. "Think. If I were really using our marriage for the sake of the championship title, I would have publicized our relationship, even after you left. I always wanted to earn the approval of the Sinnoh population through my own merit, which I did. It was just Cynthia who was insistent."

Paul gives her a long, level stare that makes her breath hitch. "One more thing. You _are_ my wife. Not was." He holds up the magazine, the one with that tabloid article she was reading before, in one hand, waving it in the air, and with his other, moves to rake his thumb across the knuckles of Dawn's left hand. His finger stops at Dawn's rings, rubbing them softly. "You're still my wife," he repeats in a murmur, his breath wafting across Dawn's delicately flushed face. "I don't know how or why, but you are."


End file.
